Molding and method of producing the same

ABSTRACT

A molding having connection with high strength, which comprises: two moldings connected with each other, each of the two moldings including a decorative trim portion as an outer part and being provided therein with a core material having a notched portion with at least one concave portion and at least one convex portion; and a connecting portion for connecting the two moldings, the connecting portion including a connecting decorative trim portion of which the cross sectional shape is continuously varied so as to continuously connect the cross sectional shapes of the two moldings; the respective notched portions of the two moldings being engaged with each other, and the periphery of the engaged portions being molded into one body as the connecting decorative trim portion so as to form the connecting portion. And a method of producing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a molding composing of two moldingsfirmly combined with each other in a portion of which the crosssectional shape of a decorative trim portion is continuously varied suchas in a corner portion (a curved portion), and also relates to a methodof producing the same.

2. Description of the Related Arts

A conventional molding for sealing a windshield 41 made of glass, of anautomobile 4 comprises a side molding 1 for sealing the side of thewindshield, an upper molding 2 for sealing the top of the same, and acorner portion S for connecting the side molding and the upper molding,as shown in FIG. 15.

In this molding, the cross sectional shape of a decorative trim portionis continuously varied at the corner portion S, as shown in FIGS. 13 and14. In other words, the cross sectional shape gradually becomes smallerfrom the side molding 1 to the upper molding 2, via the corner portionS, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The corner portion S is curved.

Connection of this corner portion S has conventionally been conducted byplacing the upper end of the side molding 1 and the end of the uppermolding 2 in a mold cavity having a shape corresponding to the crosssection of the corner portion S, and injecting a corner material such asplastic into the mold cavity so as to form the corner portion. Crosssections 92--92 and 94--94 in FIGS. 13 and 14 designate cross sectionalshapes of the connecting portions to the side molding 1 and the uppermolding 2, respectively.

However, in the structure that the corner portion is plasticallyconnected to the side molding and the upper molding only with plastic,the strength of the corner portion is not sufficient. Further, when along U-shape molding connected as described above is installed on anautomobile, it should be handled with care so as not to cause tension inthe connecting portion formed by injection.

Further, even in the case that two moldings are connected with eachother in a portion the cross sectional shape of which is continuouslyvaried not only on such a curved surface as the corner portion mentionedabove, the same problem as the above-mentioned can arise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing problem, an object of the present invention isto provide a molding having a high strength even in a portion the crosssectional shape of which is continuously varied, and a method ofproducing the same.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, there isprovided a molding having connection with high strength, which comprisestwo moldings connected with each other, each of the two moldingsincluding a decorative trim portion as an outer part and being providedtherein with a core material having a notched portion with at least oneconcave portion and at least one convex portion; and a connectingportion for connecting the two moldings, the connecting portionincluding a connecting decorative trim portion of which the crosssectional shape is continuously varied so as to continuously connect thecross sectional shape of one of the two moldings and that of the otherof the two moldings. The respective notched portions of the two moldingsis engaged with each other, and the periphery of the engaged portions ismolded into one body as the connecting decorative trim portion so as toform the connecting portion.

In the present invention, a decorative trim portion designates theconfiguration of a molding as a whole. The cross sectional shape is onein a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a molding.A core material is the so-called core metal provided inside the moldingso as to maintain the center configuration of the molding. This corematerial can be made of not only metal but also rigid plastic.

In a connecting portion of two moldings, the above-mentioned corematerials in two moldings are connected by their respective notchedportions engaged with each other, and are covered with a material for acorner part such as plastic and rubber so as to form a decorative trimportion of which the cross sectional shape is continuously varied.

There's provided a method of producing the above-mentioned moldingcomposing of two moldings which are connected with each other in aportion of which the cross sectional shape of the decorative trimportion is continuously varied. This method comprises forming a notchedportion with at least one concave portion and at least one convexportion on a core material in each of the two moldings; engaging therespective notched portions of the two molding with each other bysetting the concave portion in one of the two moldings and the convexportion in the other to be met; disposing the engaged portions within acavity of a mold having a cross sectional shape corresponding to thecross sectional shape of the connecting portion for the two moldings;and injecting a material for molding into the mold cavity so as to formadecorative trim portion around the engaged portions, which continuouslyconnects the two molding as one body.

The above-mentioned mold has a cavity corresponding to the crosssectional shape of the connecting portion. That is, it has a crosssectional shape which is continuously varied from one molding to theother molding. A material for a molding is injected into this cavity toform a connecting portion.

In a molding according to the present invention, the connecting portionthereof is so constructed that the core materials in both moldings areengaged with each other in those notched portions described above andthe periphery of the engaged core materials is made secured by coveringwith the molding material. So, the connecting portion has high strengthand exhibits an excellent joining against tensile stress. Accordingly,there can be provided a molding having high strength even in aconnecting portion of which the decorative trim portion has a crosssectional shape continuously varied.

Further, according to the method of the present invention, an superiormolding as described above can be obtained. In addition to a moldinghaving a connecting portion of which the cross sectional shape iscontinuously varied, a molding having any connecting portion such as acurved connecting portion or a meandering one, can be obtained.

cl BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 through 11 designate a molding according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a corner portion.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong the line A--A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong the line B--B of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a connecting portion in a corner portion of aside molding.

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the same connecting portion as in FIG.4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a connecting portion in an upper molding.

FIG. 7 is a side view from the direction indicated by the arrow Y.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong the line H--H of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of connection between a side molding and an uppermolding before injection forming.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong the line F--F of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong the line G--G of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a mold cavity.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are an explanatory plan view and a cross sectional view,of a corner portion, respectively.

FIG. 14 illustrates cross sectional views taken in the direction of thearrows along the lines 91--91 to 95--95 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the front of an automobile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 12, an embodiment of the present inventionapplied to a molding used for an automobile windshield, will beexplained.

This molding comprises a side molding 1, an upper molding 2, and aconnecting portion 5 which connects both the moldings in a cornerportion S, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 1. The corner portion S isconnected with the side molding 1 and the upper molding 2 ,respectively, by the decorative trim portion thereof. This molding is,as shown in FIG. 15, fabricated by connecting three moldings 1,1 and 2at the corner portions S to be U-shape, and is installed on a frame ofan automobile windshield. Then, the periphery of a windshield 41 is, asshown in FIGS. 1 through 3, inserted into the inside of the molding, andboth are sealed therebetween.

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the side molding 1 taken in thedirection of the arrows along the line A--A of FIG. 1.

The side molding 1 comprises a decorative trim portion 10 and a U-shapecore metal 30 as an core material disposed in the decorative trimportion, This core metal is made of metal. The decorative trim portion10 has a glass seal part 11 for inserting a windshield inside the coremetal 30, an attachment recess 14 for fitting on the frame of anautomobile windshield, a lip 15 and so forth. FIG. 3 shows a crosssectional view of the upper molding 2 taken in the direction of thearrows along the line B--B of FIG. 1. The upper molding 2 compises adecorative trim portion 20 and a core material 28. This core material 28is made of rigid plastic. The decorative trim portion 20 has a glassseal part 21, an attachment recess 22 for fitting on the frame of anautomobile windshield, a lip 29 and so forth. The above-mentioned sideand upper moldings are formed as one body by extruding, respectively.

Next, connection of the connecting portion 5 in the corner portion S isas follows.

In connecting, the upper part of the side molding 1 is bent incorrespondence with the form of the corner portion S, as shown in FIG.4. Then, the decorative trim portion is eliminated to leave the coremetal 30 in the corner portion S. The core metal 30 has a U-shape crosssection as shown in FIG. 2. Next, in the end of the corner portion S,one of the side wall 31 of the core metal 30, is cut off in the portiondesignated by 31 therefrom so as to have a L-shape cross section in aside view taken in the direction of the left in FIG. 4. The upper end ofthe part with this L-shape cross section is partially notched so as toform a notched portion 35 consisting of concave portions 33 and convexportions 32, as shown in FIG. 5. Reference numeral 34 indicates theother side wall of the core metal 3.

As shown in FIGS. 6 through 8, the upper molding 2 has a notched portion27 consisting of convex portions 26 and concave portions 25, which areformed in the end thereof by cutting off a part of the core material 28and the lower portion thereof (shown in FIG. 8). Reference numeral 23indicates an end surface of the cut off portion.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 9 through 11, the convex portions and theconcave portions in the notched portions 35 of the side molding 1 andthe notched portion 27 of the upper molding 2 are engaged with eachother.

The moldings thus engaged are disposed in a mold 6. A cavity in a mold 6has a corner portion cavity 63 corresponding to the cross sectionalshape of the connecting portion in the corner portion S. This cavity hasa cross sectional shape which is continuously varied from the end of theside molding 1 to the upper molding 2. On both ends of the cornerportion cavity 63, there's further provided cavities 61 and 62 intowhich the ends of the side molding 1 and the uper molding 2 aredisposed, respectively. Then, a plastic for molding a connecting portionis injected into the cavity of the mold 6 so as to form the cornerportion S and to connect the side molding and the upper molding throughthe corner portion S.

The molding thus obtained has decorative trim portion with the samecross section as shown in the above-mentioned FIGS. 13 and 14 exceptthat the core metal 30 appears in the sections 91--91 through 95--95 andthe core material 28 in the section 94--94 and 95--95.

A molding according to this embodiment, as described above, has aconnecting decorative trim portion constructed by engaging therespective notched portions of a core material in both moldings witheach other in a corner portion where a cross sectional shape iscontinuously varied. Accordingly, a molding with a corner portion havinghigh strength can be provided. This embodiment aims to connect a cornerportion of which the cross sectional shape of the decorative trimportion is continuously varied, and which has a curved surface. Incomparing with connection in a straight portion, it is especiallydifficult. According to the present invention, in such a corner portionas is difficult of connection, a connecting portion with high strengthcan easily be produced.

What is claimed is:
 1. A molding having connection with high strengthcomprising:two moldings connected with each other, each of said twomoldings including a decorative trim portion as an outer part and beingprovided therein with a core material having a notched portion with atleast one concave portion and at least one convex portion; and aconnecting portion for connecting said two moldings, said connectingportion including a connecting decorative trim portion of which thecross sectional shape is continuously varied so as to continuouslyconnect the cross sectional shape of one of said two moldings and thatof the other of said two moldings; said respective notched portions ofsaid two moldings being engaged with each other, and the periphery ofsaid engaged portions being molded into one body as said connectingdecorative trim portion so as to form said connecting portion.
 2. Amolding according to claim 1, wherein a side molding for sealing theside of a windshield and an upper molding for sealing the top of thewindshield is connected with each other, said side molding and saidupper molding making almost a right angle with each other, and saidconnecting portion being curved.
 3. A molding according to claim 1,wherein said decorative trim portion has a glass seal part for insertinga windshield, an attachment recess for fitting on a windshield frame,and a lip.
 4. A molding according to claim 1, which is a sealingmaterial used for an automobile.
 5. A molding according to claim 4,which is a sealing material for sealing between a windshield and a framefor said windshield.
 6. A molding according to claim 1, wherein saidcore material is made of metal or rigid plastic.
 7. A molding accordingto claim 1, wherein said decorative trim portion is made of plastic orrubber.